Downtown Arena Deal Could Fade County Commissioners May Withhold Support

May 16, 1985|By Goldie Blumenstyk of The Sentinel Staff

A fragile deal guaranteeing Orange County's financial support for a downtown Orlando arena appeared close to collapse Wednesday.

Unless there is a reconciliation before Tuesday, attempts to increase the countywide resort tax from 2 percent to 3 percent to pay for the $50 million project may be dead for this year and building could be delayed for several years.

Orange County Commissioner Vera Carter, previously an arena supporter, called a press conference Wednesday to announce she may vote no when the five- member commission considers the financing plan Monday.

Commissioners Tom Dorman and Lou Treadway also indicated strong reservations about the agreement, although neither would say how they intend to vote. Three no votes would kill the deal.

Carter said she fears that the deal to allow the city to accelerate construction of the arena, which otherwise would not be built until the 1990s, would lead to unacceptable deficits at the county-run Convention and Civic Center.

She said she is reconsidering her vote ''mostly because of'' Orlando Mayor Bill Frederick's criticisms of county Comptroller Tom Locker, who warned Tuesday that the convention center could run up higher deficits by losing business to the arena.

County officials have estimated that 34 percent of the convention center's business comes from concerts and other arena-type events.

Locker told the county's Tourist Development Council on Tuesday that the arena would compete with the convention center, but the council voted for the financing plan.

Frederick then told The Orlando Sentinel that Locker's negative public comments contradicted things he had been telling the mayor privately.

Locker denied that he was working behind Frederick's back and said all he was doing was making sure county officials know the financial implications of their decision.

Carter said she now wonders about Frederick's motives if he is questioning ''the one person who, in my opinion, is qualified to make that assessment'' about deficits.

''I guess maybe I'm digging in my heels because of all the pressure,'' from Frederick and state Sen. George Stuart, Carter said.

Stuart, D-Orlando, has threatened to kill any resort tax increase in the Legislature if the county commission does not approve the financing plan by Tuesday. Government and tourism officials want to increase the tax from 2 percent to 3 percent to pay for expansion of the convention center, tourism promotions and the arena.

The financing plan was approved Monday by the Orlando City Council. It states that the county will set aside up to $50 million from the increased resort tax, but only after the county has arranged financing for expansion of the convention center. City officials plan to build the arena in the Centroplex area in downtown west of Interstate 4. Construction could start in late 1987, if the arrangement is approved.

Frederick, who leaves today for a three-week trip to China, said he is sorry about Carter's position but hopes that she'll change her mind. ''She had a tradition of rising to the occasion,'' he said.

Choosing his words carefully, Frederick said that if the resort tax is increased, the community has the opportunity to reap $6 million more from tourists. But that increase will come only if the city-county deal is accomplished.

If the county commission choses ''to throw it in the trash can, so be it,'' the mayor said. ''But the public will be the loser.''